Monday's breakfast was here at our hotel. We got several vouchers for free breakfast upon check-in, and we decided to use them. It was a buffet breakfast full of Japanese food. Rice, Okayu, pastries, fruits, salads, tsukemono, etc. While here in Miyako, we've seen a variety of foods which use Ube, a purple yam, which is as sweet as any fruit. The purple is very bright in color. There was a really delicious Ube roll, which was rich from butter, and sweet from the potato.
Here's Em's breakfast tray, with (clockwise, from top left) a chawan of multigrain rice, natto, a couple of marinated salads, fruit and bread, potatoes, really sweet pineapple (before and after), an Ube pastry, Bitter melon puree, and a firm cold fermented tofu with various toppings.
After breakfast, we had a discreet meeting with a guy named Happy. When we checked in, I inquired about snorkel rentals. In my research, many of the more popular beaches on Miyako had booths with beach rentals, like umbrellas, snorkel equipment, towels, and floating toys. Also there were a lot of dive and snorkel operators who did day trips including equipment, but not rentals for, say a week. Since we were planning on going to several different beaches this trip, I didn't want to do individual rentals at every single place! I had not found a single rental place, like they have in Hawaii, which would rent you the equipment for a week at a time. Anyway, the front desk man at our hotel told me that the beach here did rent equipment for the day only, and only allowed you to use their equipment at the hotel. When I asked if there were places to rent equipment for our entire stay, he said that every single beach has rentals and that I should just rent from them. Clearly a conspiracy.
Fortunately, at the airport, I picked up a couple of those throw away magazines, like "Guide magazine to Miyako Island," filled with ads for tour guides, restaurants, and condos. They're all in Japanese, none in English. But I went to the Snorkel area of the guide book and tried to look at the written descriptions, and one stood out. It was the only one that didn't describe their selections in "per hour." Their selection was "per week." Went to their website, and the google translator told me all I needed.
I called Happy right before breakfast and arranged for him to meet us outside the hotel at 830. I told him I was willing to drive to his place, but this was answered with a stern, "iie." He said he didn't have a store. So, I'm walking out in front of the hotel, and walked right by him, and when I was about 10 feet from him, I hear my last name mumbled. He obviously didn't know me, but wondered if I was the guy. I turned around, looked at him, and listened as he asked if I was the guy.
The four of us walk about 150 feet to his van, filled with snorkel equipment. An older man of about 60+ years. He tells me that the hotel doesn't like him. He obviously takes away business from them. He efficiently gets us all equipped with snorkel, fins, mask, water shoes, and a life vest. Only one of us really needs a life vest, but he insists that it is a set and we should take them. All the equipment fills two large duffels. I give the man a man (4 x ¥2500 is a man). He asks me if I have a rental car, and when I tell him the agency name, he knows exactly the place. He says on the day of departure, that I should dump the two duffels in front of a vending machine right outside the rental agency. He will come by and pick it up later that day. He knows nothing of me besides my last name and where I'm staying. I could just keep all the stuff (it is all used, but in great condition), and he would never be able to find me (the hotel would certainly never give out details of who I am...). Interesting business model, but I guess it works for him. I would use his service again without question.
We're all rigged up, and I decide to go to Maehama beach. It should be a nice intro for all of us. Nice shallow waters and pure white sand. Upon arriving, parking, and gathering up our supplies and food (which we got on the way at Max Valu), we see a beautiful beach filled with a bunch of umbrellas and lounge chairs. Being not certain what the procedure is, we approach one of these groups, and a young man, looking obviously older than his years from UV exposure without sunscreen, approaches us. He asks us if want to rent a banana boat, or beach toys, or other things. Fortunately, he has some grasp of English. I tell him we would just like two lounge chairs and an umbrella. The equipment has obviously seen better times, since the edges were tattered and the steel was no longer shiny, but brown.
"Only ¥2000." Oh well, we didn't want to end up looking like him, so I pull out a couple of bills, and settle down under our umbrella.
The water looked so beautiful, a turquoise blue in various shades, depending on the depth of the water. It was quite shallow pretty far out. There was a left to right current, which increased in strength throughout our stay. The left to right wind increased as well, and at one point, the umbrella flew away. Our young, old guy runs over and apologizes, while redoing our abode.
When we were snorkeling out in the water, we saw a number of fish, but the number was not large. Sorry, no underwater pics, since I left the camera at the car.
Apparently, Connie suffers another minor mishap in the water when she is wading with Sammie. Getting a little bit careless, they wade out a bit too far, and even though she has a life vest on, Connie felt a need to grab onto Sam in a panic. Sam tells her to let go, since Sam is pulled down, but Connie doesn't listen. They were rescued by a couple of women with floatie tubes. Em, who is busy digging a hole to China the US, and I, relaxing in a lounge chair, try to pretend we don't know the odd couple.
Having enough of this, we pack up and return to our hotel, only to realize that Em has left her zories on the ground where we parked the car. This is a 20 minute drive, I'll have you know! I say, just get a new pair, but all I hear are complaints. It's a well broken in pair of high end zories, I'm told. So, back to Maehama Beach and Em lucks out. Still right there. We theorize that our space remained unoccupied due to those zories on the ground. On the way back, we detour to Max Valu (do you get the impression we like the place?), and get some icy refreshments. I got a Haagen Daz green tea ice cream sandwich, and it was gooood.
After returning (again) to our hotel, Em and I go out snorkeling in the bay outside. We see a number of fish, and explore the crags that line the bay. The water isn't really clear, but we do see some prettiness out there.
We return to scene of one of our prior crimes, Hiro Shokudo, later that night. We get a number of great dishes, including some repeats.
I get the standard Nama Biru, Orion today. Umi-budou (just as crisp and Umi-like as the night before), veggie stir fry, Kaki fry (two orders of this, which didn't have ANY of that off-flavor of cooked oysters -- super fresh), Ebi fry, and somen champuru (two orders). I loved the shredded cabbage with miso dressing. The service was just as bad as the previous night, and I find it strange that Connie keeps complaining about it, yet she still wants to go back. That's how good the food is. We may be back.
So, still worried about the typhoon. We may not get out for any more snorkeling this trip... :( Winds are supposed to be up to about 40 kMpH... I am "pretty sure" our flight out will be ok. Neoguri only closed MMY for one day, and this isn't half as bad.
No comments:
Post a Comment